News

A brand new Greggs drive-thru is set to open in Bolton

It will be the bakery chain's third North West drive-thru site.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 27th June 2023

Greggs has announced the location of its next drive-thru, and it’s Greater Manchester’s lucky day as the region is set to get its second site.

The bakery chain’s Bolton fans will soon get to grab their bakes on the go.

Foodies will know that Greggs drive-thrus have been popping up all over the UK these past couple of years – with the groundbreaking concept for the chain actually first launching in Irlam back in 2017, and the second North West site opening in Blackburn in 2018.

But now, the Greater Manchester borough of Bolton has been confirmed as the next place where residents will be able to get their Greggs fix without even needing to get out the car.

Plans were initially submitted by Bolton-based developers A&F Forecourts back in 2022, and permission for the new site – which is set to open on the constantly-developing Logistics North services and commercial retail park near the Over Hulton area of Bolton – was granted later on in the same year.

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A brand new Greggs drive-thru is set to open in Bolton / Credit: Greggs

Although no launch date has been revealed yet, when it does eventually open, Bolton residents are told they can expect the same “deliciously golden bakes, freshly made sandwiches, Fairtrade coffee, and tasty sweet treats” that you find at every Greggs outlet.

But unlike all other shops, at the new drive-thru, you can stay in the comfort of your own car and make orders at the order point, before driving round to the collection window where your treats will be waiting for you.

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According to developers, the first stage of the new petrol forecourt development where the Greggs drive-thru will be opening has already been completed, and funding for the second phase of the major project has now been provided by Cheadle-based specialist lender, Together.

The town’s second Burger King has also been confirmed to be opening next door on the same site.

Speaking ahead of the new Greggs drive-thru opening, Ataf Patel, who is the co-owner of AF Forecourts, said: “It’s great to have completed this new project and we’re excited to have brought on board two restaurants which are household names in Greggs and Burger King, as tenants.”

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AF Forecourts already has “extensive experience” with projects of this kind, as they now own and operate 11 petrol forecourts across the UK, and have also previously developed two sites from the ground up.

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Gordon Spotten, who is the Business Development Director at Together, said the new Greggs drive-thru and petrol forecourt was in an “ideal location” for commuters and visitors to stop for refreshments.

You’ll want to keep your eye out for official opening dates.

Featured Image – Greggs

News

Wigan woman jailed after hitting pedestrian in Fiat 500 while driving high on nitrous oxide ‘balloons’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Louisa Tunstall

A young woman from Wigan has been handed jail time after hitting a pedestrian while driving high on nitrous oxide.

Louisa Tunstall was driving a white Fiat 500 towards the East Lancashire Road in Wigan at around 7pm on Friday 24 May 2024 – a time when traffic conditions were said to be ‘quiet’ – but Tunstall was under the influence of a now-banned drug, nitrous oxide, at the time of the incident, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed.

While driving under the influence, 19-year-old Tunstall veered to the left onto the pavement and collided with a 51-year-old woman pedestrian.

After striking the woman, the car then overturned and, in the process, caused serious life-changing injuries.

When questioned by police, Tunstall stated that she ‘took her eyes off the road’ to retrieve something in the footwell before knowing the car had flipped, but she also confirmed that she had just been out to purchase nitrous oxide to use that evening.

After obtaining witness accounts, investigating officers were able to track down nearby CCTV footable which showed Tunstall inhaling nitrous oxide through a balloon whilst driving, seconds before the collision occurred.

Further investigation by GMP’s Forensic Vehicle Examination Unit examined the Fiat 500 and confirmed that no defects were found on the car to contribute towards the collision.

Still to this day, the victim says she is trying to recover from the injuries sustained to her leg that will prevent her from continuing life as she did before.

“The incident is still very raw when I think about it,” the victim explained in her impact statement released by GMP. “I become upset when I think at everything which has been taken away from me and the ongoing affect it has had and continues to have on my daily life.”

GMP says it’s seeing the use of nitrous oxide being a factor in incidents they attend increasing year on year.

Nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing gas’, is reported to produce euphoria, relaxation, dizziness, giggling or laughing fits, impaired judgement, and occasionally dissociation and hallucinations – which GMP says affects reaction time and and is ‘likely lead to impairment’ in driving performance, particularly when faced with an unexpected or hazardous situation.

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Tunstall appeared at Bolton Crown Court this week, and has been sentenced to one year and eight months imprisonment for having possession of a Class C drug, driving under the influence of drugs, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Alongside being jailed, she was also disqualified from driving for two years and eight months, and has been ordered to take an extended test when she is released.

Featured Image – GMP

News

Kylie Minogue in Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘Tension’ tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

The unofficial Queen of Australia and Britain’s adopted pop princess, Kylie Minogue, is bringing her dance tracks to Manchester, taking up residence in AO Arena for two nights of pop perfection.

Whether you first got to know Kylie from her stint on Neighbours, her delicious range of branded wines or her marvellous discography, it’s safe to say this star has built quite a legacy.

She loves coming across the pond to the UK and Manchester, specifically, playing the legendary AO Arena over 30 times, and we’re grateful for every single one, especially these two upcoming shows.

Playing a whopping 30 shows means seeing lots of lovely faces, and this Aussie pop star is no stranger to a big crowd or two, so much so, she has one of the top 10 biggest gigs in Manchester music history.

Kylie has played at AO Arena, Manchester over 30 times and we're certainly not complaining.
Kylie has played at AO Arena, Manchester over 30 times and we’re certainly not complaining.

Now Kylie is returning with her long-awaited ‘Tension Tour’ which features the huge phenomenon that is ‘Padam Padam’ as well as her newest single ‘Lights Camera Action’.

Kylie Minogue UK tour dates

  • Fri 16 May – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
  • Sat 17 May – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Mon 19 May – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
  • Tue 20 May – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
  • Thu 22 May – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
  • Fri 23 May – Sheffield, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Mon 26 May – London, UK – The O2 Arena

Are there tickets left for Kylie at AO Arena?

If you’re ready to get into the ‘Real Groove’ with this Aussie act, there are two Manchester dates you can get tickets for, and if we didn’t know any better, we’d say she did this ‘Especially for You’.

Fancy spending a night like this with Minogue and her crew on Monday, 19 May? You’ll be able to find tickets HERE.

Better still, if you fancy seeing her back to back or can’t make the first date for whatever reason, she’ll be playing again just 24 hours later.

Kylie Minogue ‘Tension’ tour setlist

According to her most recent gig recorded on the ever-trusty Setlist.fm, anyway…

  • Lights Camera Action
  • In Your Eyes
  • Get Outta My Way
  • What Do I Have to Do?
  • Come Into My World
  • Good As Gone
  • Spinning Around
  • Taboo
  • On a Night Like This
  • last night i dreamt i fell in love
  • Better the Devil You Know
  • Shocked
  • Things We Do for Love
  • Dancing
  • The Loco-Motion
  • Hold On to Now
  • Cupid Boy
  • Kiss Bang Bang
  • Chocolate
  • 2 Hearts
  • The One
  • Where the Wild Roses Grow
  • Say Something
  • Supernova / Real Groove / Magic / Where Does the DJ Go?
  • Confide in Me
  • Slow
  • Timebomb
  • Edge of Saturday Night
  • Tension
  • Can’t Get You Out of My Head
  • All the Lovers
  • Padam Padam
  • Love at First Sight

What are the stage times for Kylie in Manchester?

Kylie is heading to AO Arena, Manchester for two nights of the 'Tension Tour'.
Kylie is heading to AO Arena, Manchester for two nights of the ‘Tension Tour’.

If you’re head is ‘Spinning Around’ trying to work out your plans ahead of the big night, fear not as doors open from 6pm with the show commencing at 7:30pm.

Support comes in the form of Jodie Harsh, a London-based drag queen and music producer, who’ll be tailoring a DJ set especially for both nights of the ‘Tension Tour’.

AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm, meaning you can watch this pop princess in action and don’t have to wait ‘A Second to Midnight’ to hear all her timeless hits. Last pun, we promise…

How to get to AO Arena

Tram

For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.

Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Train

Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.

Bus

A variety of buses cover AO Arena and Victoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.

A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.

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@the.manc When are you next heading to the @AO Arena? 😱 #themanc #manchester #aoarena #preshow #entertainment #gigs #music #liveshow ♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

Getting there by car and parking

The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.

Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.

Walk/cycle

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.

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About the AO Arena

The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.

For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.

All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (supplied)

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